Independence and Democracy
Encyclopedia
The Independence/Democracy Group in the European Parliament
was a group of eurosceptic
and eurorealist political parties in the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament
. It collapsed following the 2009 European elections
after losing many of its MEPs.
were reported as a good result for Eurosceptic parties. 37 MEPs (33 on July 20, with four more the next day) from the United Kingdom Independence Party
(UKIP), Junibevægelsen (Denmark), Mouvement pour la France (France), Lega Nord (Italy), ChristenUnie-SGP
(Netherlands), LAOS
(Greece), Junilistan (Sweden), Nezávislí
(Czech Republic), the League of Polish Families
(Poland) and an Independent from Ireland, joined together in the first week of the new Parliament to form the Eurosceptic group called "Independence/Democracy", succeeding the group called "Europe of Democracies and Diversities
" that had existed before the elections.
In the first week, IND/DEM assigned a UKIP MEP to the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
. The MEP, Godfrey Bloom
, promptly made comments including "No self-respecting small businessman with a brain in the right place would ever employ a lady of child-bearing age" and "I am here to represent Yorkshire women who always have dinner on the table when you get home. I am going to promote men's rights." The remarks engendered outrage from a range of fellow politicians.
One UKIP MEP never made it to IND/DEM. MEP Ashley Mote
was expelled from UKIP prior to IND/DEM's formation when it became known that he faced charges for housing benefit fraud. Mote went on to join the far-right Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
group before being convicted in 2007.
The Lega Nord MEPs eventually all left the group after their expulsion from IND/DEM following an incident involving a t-shirt and the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
. MEPs from the League of Polish Families also left the group, although not all and not all at once.
After having been suspended from UKIP following his arrest on fraud allegations, MEP Tom Wise
left IND/DEM in June 2008.
By 24 June 2008, IND/DEM had 22 MEPs.
After the 2009 European Parliament elections
, 18 IND/DEM MEPs from four Member States were elected for the 2009-2014 term (the Seventh European Parliament). The great majority of these seats (thirteen) were from the United Kingdom Independence Party
, with others being two from the ChristianUnion – Reformed Political Party of the Netherlands, two from the Popular Orthodox Rally
of Greece, and one from Libertas France
. But that didn't meet the threshold laid down in the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure. So when the Seventh European Parliament started on 14 July 2009, IND/DEM would not qualify as a group.
On 30 June 2009, it was reported the remnants of IND/DEM were to unite with the remnants of another collapsing group, Union for a Europe of Nations (UEN), to create a new group whose official name was not yet determined.
On 1 July 2009 a press conference was held launching the new group. That press conference named the new group Europe of Freedom and Democracy
. IND/DEM had ceased to exist.
(UKIP) and Hanne Dahl
, the latter succeeding Kathy Sinnott
, who in turn succeeded long-time MEP Jens-Peter Bonde
(June Movement) on his retirement in May 2008. Farage represented the secessionist subgroup, and Sinnott the reformist subgroup. The leadership was loose, enabling the two subgroups to unite around the broad principles of democracy and transparency which were embodied in its statute and to which IND/DEM MEPs were expected to adhere. The day-to-day running of the group was performed by its secretariat, and its secretaries-general were Claudine Vangrunderbeeck and Herman Verheirstraeten.
, 18 IND/DEM MEPs (too few for a viable group) were elected as follows:
Such support for IND/DEM as was expressed came from Northern European states, with especial reference to the member states of the North-West. Its strongholds were Sweden and Denmark, who sent "June list" MEPs from Junilistan and JuniBevægelsen
to the Parliament, and the United Kingdom, with 13% of its MEPs at December 2007 coming from UKIP and sitting with IND/DEM. As of December 2007 no member state had more than 13% of its MEPs sitting with IND/DEM and eighteen member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain) had none.
The debates and votes in the European Parliament are tracked by its website and categorized by the Groups that participate in them and the rule of procedure that they fall into. The results give a profile for each Group by category and the total indicates the Group's level of participation in Parliamentary debates. The activity profile for each Group for the period August 1, 2004 to August 1, 2008 in the Sixth European Parliament is given on the diagram on the right. IND/DEM is denoted in orange.
The website shows IND/DEM as participating in 43 motions, making it one of the most inactive Groups during the period.
. That article characterized IND/DEM as right-wing and/or Eurosceptics who cooperated most closely with the Non-Inscrits
, were unanimously opposed to hypothetical EU taxes, over 90% male, and against Turkish accession to the European Union.
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
was a group of eurosceptic
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
and eurorealist political parties in the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. It collapsed following the 2009 European elections
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
after losing many of its MEPs.
History
The 2004 European Parliament electionsEuropean Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
were reported as a good result for Eurosceptic parties. 37 MEPs (33 on July 20, with four more the next day) from the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
(UKIP), Junibevægelsen (Denmark), Mouvement pour la France (France), Lega Nord (Italy), ChristenUnie-SGP
ChristenUnie-SGP
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party was a parliamentary party in the European Parliament formed by two Dutch orthodox Protestant parties: the ChristianUnion and the Reformed Political Party...
(Netherlands), LAOS
Popular Orthodox Rally
The Popular Orthodox Rally or The People's Orthodox Rally , often abbreviated to ΛΑ.Ο.Σ as a pun on the Greek word for people, is a Greek party. According to its political program LA.O.S...
(Greece), Junilistan (Sweden), Nezávislí
Independent Democrats (Czech Republic)
Independent Democrats is small populist political party in the Czech Republic. Its founder Vladimír Železný, MEP, was elected its chairman during the party's convention on 6-7 August 2005. It advocates strict immigration policies, the abolition of the Senate, and review of the country's...
(Czech Republic), the League of Polish Families
League of Polish Families
The League of Polish Families is a right-wing political party in Poland. It was represented in the Polish parliament, forming part of the cabinet of Jarosław Kaczyński, until the latter dissolved in September 2007....
(Poland) and an Independent from Ireland, joined together in the first week of the new Parliament to form the Eurosceptic group called "Independence/Democracy", succeeding the group called "Europe of Democracies and Diversities
Europe of Democracies and Diversities
Europe of Democracies and Diversities was a euro-sceptic political group with seats in the European Parliament between 1999 and 2004. Following the elections in 2004, the former MEPs of the group took MEPs from the new member countries on board and together, they registered the new group...
" that had existed before the elections.
In the first week, IND/DEM assigned a UKIP MEP to the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality is a committee of the European Parliament.-Chair:-Members:*BASTOS, Regina *BAUER, Edit *BOZKURT, Emine *ČEŠKOVÁ, Andrea *CORNELISSEN, Marije *COSTA, Silvia *CYMAŃSKI, Tadeusz...
. The MEP, Godfrey Bloom
Godfrey Bloom
Godfrey Bloom is a Member of the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the Humber for the United Kingdom Independence Party...
, promptly made comments including "No self-respecting small businessman with a brain in the right place would ever employ a lady of child-bearing age" and "I am here to represent Yorkshire women who always have dinner on the table when you get home. I am going to promote men's rights." The remarks engendered outrage from a range of fellow politicians.
One UKIP MEP never made it to IND/DEM. MEP Ashley Mote
Ashley Mote
Ashley Mote was a non-inscrit Member of the European Parliament for South East England. An outspoken critic of fraud in the European Institutions, he himself was convicted of benefit fraud in 2007 for which he served a nine-month prison sentence and was described by the trial judge as "a truly...
was expelled from UKIP prior to IND/DEM's formation when it became known that he faced charges for housing benefit fraud. Mote went on to join the far-right Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
thumb|right|Group logoIdentity, Tradition, Sovereignty was a political group in the European Parliament composed of 23 members from European parties variously described as right-wing and nationalist...
group before being convicted in 2007.
The Lega Nord MEPs eventually all left the group after their expulsion from IND/DEM following an incident involving a t-shirt and the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
. MEPs from the League of Polish Families also left the group, although not all and not all at once.
After having been suspended from UKIP following his arrest on fraud allegations, MEP Tom Wise
Tom Wise
Tom Wise was an Independent Member of the European Parliament for the East of England. A former police officer, he was elected in 2004 as a member of the United Kingdom Independence Party but later had the whip withdrawn when allegations of misuse of parliamentary expenses surfaced in The Sunday...
left IND/DEM in June 2008.
By 24 June 2008, IND/DEM had 22 MEPs.
After the 2009 European Parliament elections
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
, 18 IND/DEM MEPs from four Member States were elected for the 2009-2014 term (the Seventh European Parliament). The great majority of these seats (thirteen) were from the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
, with others being two from the ChristianUnion – Reformed Political Party of the Netherlands, two from the Popular Orthodox Rally
Popular Orthodox Rally
The Popular Orthodox Rally or The People's Orthodox Rally , often abbreviated to ΛΑ.Ο.Σ as a pun on the Greek word for people, is a Greek party. According to its political program LA.O.S...
of Greece, and one from Libertas France
Libertas France
Libertas France is the name given to the activities of Declan Ganley's Libertas Party in France. Unlike Libertas in other countries, Libertas France was not a political party in its own right...
. But that didn't meet the threshold laid down in the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure. So when the Seventh European Parliament started on 14 July 2009, IND/DEM would not qualify as a group.
On 30 June 2009, it was reported the remnants of IND/DEM were to unite with the remnants of another collapsing group, Union for a Europe of Nations (UEN), to create a new group whose official name was not yet determined.
On 1 July 2009 a press conference was held launching the new group. That press conference named the new group Europe of Freedom and Democracy
Europe of Freedom and Democracy
Europe of Freedom and Democracy is a Eurosceptic political group in the European Parliament. Formed after the European parliamentary election in 2009, it is mostly made up of elements of the now defunct Independence/Democracy and Union for a Europe of Nations groups from the out-going...
. IND/DEM had ceased to exist.
Subgroups
IND/DEM was a coalition of MEPs from two distinct wings of Euroscepticism: a reformist subgroup (sometimes referred to as Eurorealists) made up of those MEPs who believed that the EU was essentially desirable if reformed and who supported greater transparency and control over the EU bureaucracy, and a secessionist subgroup consisting of those MEPs (notably UKIP) who believed that the EU was inherently wrong even if reformed and who advocated withdrawal from the EU.Organisation
IND/DEM had a joint political leadership. The group's co-chairs were Nigel FarageNigel Farage
Nigel Paul Farage MEP , a position he previously held from September 2006 to November 2009. He is a current Member of the European Parliament for South East England and co-chairs the Eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Democracy group....
(UKIP) and Hanne Dahl
Hanne Dahl
Hanne Dahl is a Danish priest and politician from Aalborg. She is a member of the European Parliament, representing the June Movement .-References:...
, the latter succeeding Kathy Sinnott
Kathy Sinnott
Kathy Sinnott is a disability rights campaigner and a former politician. She represented the South constituency in Ireland in the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009....
, who in turn succeeded long-time MEP Jens-Peter Bonde
Jens-Peter Bonde
Jens-Peter Rossen Bonde is a former Member of the European Parliament with the June Movement. He resigned as an MEP in May 2008. Bonde was elected to the European Parliament in the first election in 1979 with the People's Movement against the EU. He has been re-elected 6 times consecutively...
(June Movement) on his retirement in May 2008. Farage represented the secessionist subgroup, and Sinnott the reformist subgroup. The leadership was loose, enabling the two subgroups to unite around the broad principles of democracy and transparency which were embodied in its statute and to which IND/DEM MEPs were expected to adhere. The day-to-day running of the group was performed by its secretariat, and its secretaries-general were Claudine Vangrunderbeeck and Herman Verheirstraeten.
Elected membership by party at 11 June 2009
After the 2009 European Parliament electionsEuropean Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
, 18 IND/DEM MEPs (too few for a viable group) were elected as follows:
| Member state | Party | MEPs |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP... |
13 |
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Libertas France Libertas France Libertas France is the name given to the activities of Declan Ganley's Libertas Party in France. Unlike Libertas in other countries, Libertas France was not a political party in its own right... |
1 |
| Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
ChristenUnie - SGP ChristianUnion The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the... |
2 |
| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
LAOS Popular Orthodox Rally The Popular Orthodox Rally or The People's Orthodox Rally , often abbreviated to ΛΑ.Ο.Σ as a pun on the Greek word for people, is a Greek party. According to its political program LA.O.S... |
2 |
Membership by party at 24 July 2008
IND/DEM member parties as of 24 July 2008 were as follows:| Member state | Party |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP... |
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
JuniBevægelsen June Movement The June Movement was a Danish eurosceptic political organisation founded 23 August 1992. It took its name from the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty that took place in Denmark in June of that year... |
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Mouvement pour la France Movement for France The Movement for France , abbreviated to MPF, is a French conservative and eurosceptic political party, founded on 20 November 1994, with a marked regional stronghold in the Vendée. It is led by Philippe de Villiers, once communications minister under Jacques Chirac.The party is considered... |
| Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
ChristenUnie - SGP ChristianUnion The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the... |
| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
LAOS Popular Orthodox Rally The Popular Orthodox Rally or The People's Orthodox Rally , often abbreviated to ΛΑ.Ο.Σ as a pun on the Greek word for people, is a Greek party. According to its political program LA.O.S... |
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Junilistan June List The June List is a Swedish, eurosceptic political party. Founded in 2004, it received 14% in the European Parliament election of the same year - gaining three seats. In the elections of 2009, however, it saw an 11% slump in support and lost all of its seats... |
| Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... |
Nezavisli Independent Democrats (Czech Republic) Independent Democrats is small populist political party in the Czech Republic. Its founder Vladimír Železný, MEP, was elected its chairman during the party's convention on 6-7 August 2005. It advocates strict immigration policies, the abolition of the Senate, and review of the country's... |
| Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
League of Polish Families League of Polish Families The League of Polish Families is a right-wing political party in Poland. It was represented in the Polish parliament, forming part of the cabinet of Jarosław Kaczyński, until the latter dissolved in September 2007.... |
Membership by country at December 2007
A December 2007 European Parliament document considered the groups. Page 9 of that document had a table. That table gave the number of MEPs for each group and member state at December 2007. That table's data for IND/DEM is depicted as percentages in the diagram on the right.Such support for IND/DEM as was expressed came from Northern European states, with especial reference to the member states of the North-West. Its strongholds were Sweden and Denmark, who sent "June list" MEPs from Junilistan and JuniBevægelsen
June Movement
The June Movement was a Danish eurosceptic political organisation founded 23 August 1992. It took its name from the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty that took place in Denmark in June of that year...
to the Parliament, and the United Kingdom, with 13% of its MEPs at December 2007 coming from UKIP and sitting with IND/DEM. As of December 2007 no member state had more than 13% of its MEPs sitting with IND/DEM and eighteen member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain) had none.
Membership at formation at 20–23 July 2004
The IND/DEM MEPs at 20–23 July 2004 were as follows:| Member state |
MEP Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,... s |
Party |
MEP Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,... s |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
1 | Independent | 1 |
|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
11 | UKIP | 11 |
Robert Kilroy-Silk Robert Michael Kilroy-Silk is an English former politician, former independent Member of the European Parliament, and former television presenter, best known for his daytime talk show Kilroy. He has been a university lecturer and Labour Party Member of Parliament... Gerard Batten Gerard Joseph Batten is a Member of the European Parliament for London for the United Kingdom Independence Party . He was first elected in 2004. He sits as a member of the Independence and Democracy Group.... Godfrey Bloom Godfrey Bloom is a Member of the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the Humber for the United Kingdom Independence Party... Graham Booth Graham H. Booth is an English politician, and was a Member of the European Parliament for South West England between 2002 and 2008. He is a member of the United Kingdom Independence Party... Roger Knapman Roger Maurice Knapman is a British politician and the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party .... Jeffrey Titford Jeffrey William Titford is a British politician who served as leader of the UK Independence Party from 2000 until 2002. He served again as interim leader in September to November 2010 following the resignation of Lord Pearson of Rannoch... Tom Wise Tom Wise was an Independent Member of the European Parliament for the East of England. A former police officer, he was elected in 2004 as a member of the United Kingdom Independence Party but later had the whip withdrawn when allegations of misuse of parliamentary expenses surfaced in The Sunday... |
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
1 | JuniBevægelsen | 1 |
Jens-Peter Bonde Jens-Peter Rossen Bonde is a former Member of the European Parliament with the June Movement. He resigned as an MEP in May 2008. Bonde was elected to the European Parliament in the first election in 1979 with the People's Movement against the EU. He has been re-elected 6 times consecutively... |
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
3 | Mouvement pour la France | 3 |
Patrick Louis Patrick Louis is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the south-east of France... Philippe de Villiers Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers, born on 25 March 1949, is a French politician. He was the Mouvement pour la France nominee for the French presidential election of 2007. He received 2.23% of the vote, putting him in sixth place. As only the top... |
| Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
4 | Lega Nord | 4 |
Mario Borghezio Mario Borghezio is an Italian politician from the Northern League. He is a Member of the European Parliament, and sits with the eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Democracy group. He is a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairsand of the Committee on Petitions... (joined 21 July Umberto Bossi Umberto Bossi is an Italian politician, leader of the Northern League, a party seeking autonomy or independence for Northern Italy. He is married to Manuela Marrone and has four sons .... (joined 21 July) Matteo Salvini Matteo Salvini is an Italian politician andMember of the European Parliamentfor North-West regionwith the Lega Nord from 2004 to 2006 as part of the Non-Inscrits and now as a member of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group.He sat onthe European Parliament's Committee on Culture and... (joined 21 July) |
| Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
2 | ChristenUnie - SGP | 2 |
Johannes Blokland Johannes Blokland is a former Dutch politician and former Member of the European Parliament... Bastiaan Belder Bastiaan Belder is a Dutch politician and Member of the European Parliament with the SGP, part of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs... |
| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
1 | LAOS | 1 |
|
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
3 | Junilistan | 3 |
Hélène Goudin Hélène Goudin is a Swedish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the June List; part of the Independence and Democracy group. Goudin is a Vice Chair of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and Co-President and Treasurer of the EUDemocrats - Alliance for a Europe of Democracies.-... Nils Lundgren Nils Gustav Herman Lundgren is a Swedish politician, economist, eurosceptic and former Member of the European Parliament. He was the leader of the eurosceptical June List, which he also co-founded.... Lars Wohlin Lars Magnus Wohlin is a Swedish politician and Member of the European Parliament. He was elected into the European Parliament as a member of the June List, but later joined Kristdemokraterna.... |
| Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... |
1 | Nezavisli | 1 |
Vladimír Železný Vladimír Železný is a media businessman, politician and convicted criminal in the Czech Republic. He was the first CEO of TV NOVA, a popular Czech television station and was a member of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2009... |
| Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
10 | League of Polish Families | 10 |
Wojciech Wierzejski Wojciech Wierzejski is a Polish politician and former Member of the European Parliament for Warsaw with the Liga Polskich Rodzin, part of the Independence and Democracy group, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs.... Urszula Krupa Urszula Krupa is a Polish politician andMember of the European Parliament for the Łódź Voivodeshipwith the Liga Polskich Rodzin, part of the Independence and Democracy and sits on... Witold Tomczak Witold Tomczak is a right-wing Polish politician, currently a member of the European Parliament.Before his political career, Tomczak worked as a physician He graduated from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice in 1987 and specialized in general medicine... Filip Adwent Filip Adwent was a Polish politician and a Member of the European Parliament for the Pomeranian Voivodship.... Sylwester Chruszcz Sylwester Arkadiusz Chruszcz is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Lower Silesian Voivodship and Opole Voivodship with the Naprzód Polsko, part of the Union for Europe of the Nations and is member of the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and... Maciej Giertych Maciej Marian Giertych is a Polish dendrologist and social conservative politician of the League of Polish Families . He favours state intervention in the economy. He was a member of the Sejm and a Polish member of the European Parliament... Bogdan Pek Bogdan Pęk is a Polish politician andMember of the European Parliamentfor the MP & SWwith the Liga Polskich Rodzin, part of the Independence and Democracy and sits onthe European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.... |
In the news
Activities performed by IND/DEM in the period between June 1, 2004 and June 1, 2008 that resulted in an entry on Google News include:- seeking to allow Parliament to be filmed;
- criticising EC PresidentPresident of the European CommissionThe President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed...
Barroso for taking a cruise on a yacht owned by Spiro LatsisSpiro LatsisDr. Spiro J. Latsis is a Greek businessman with a fortune of US$9.1 billion . He ranked 51st on Forbes's 2006 World's Billionaires list. He is the son of the Greek shipping magnate, John Latsis, who died in 2003....
prior to the Commission giving a Latsis shipyard a grant of €10 million; - trying to get a European Parliament auditor's report on alleged abuses of staff allowances published;
- opposing the appointment of Rocco ButtiglioneRocco ButtiglioneRocco Buttiglione is an Italian Christian Democrat politician and an academic.His nomination for a post as European Commissioner with a portfolio that was to include civil liberties, resulted in controversy as some political groups opposed him for his Roman Catholic views on homosexuality, despite...
as Justice Commissioner; - arguing against the Constitution Treaty,
- arguing against the Lisbon Treaty,
- arguing against a deeper Europe;
- expelling Lega Nord and the League of Polish Families;
- arguing against the two-person Presidency,
- arguing against the two-seat Parliament,
- arguing against attempts to fund plans to improve EP turnout;
- arguing for greater control of the Commission by Parliament,
- arguing for decentralisation,
- arguing for mandatory lobbying disclosure,
- supporting whistleblower Hans-Peter MartinHans-Peter MartinHans-Peter Martin is an Austrian journalist and politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament since 1999.Born in Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Martin worked for the German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel...
.
Parliamentary activity profile
The website shows IND/DEM as participating in 43 motions, making it one of the most inactive Groups during the period.
Publications
IND/DEM publications included the Prague Declaration of October 2005, which restated their disapproval of the Constitution Treaty and belief that the values it embodied should not be resurrected, and the Delphi Declaration of July 2007, which made similar points concerning the Treaty of Lisbon. IND/DEM also published a newsletter called EU Watch, which gave a eurosceptic view on the EU activities of the day.Academic analysis
Along with the other political groups, IND/DEM was analysed by academics on its positions regarding various issues. Those positions are summarised in this articleAcademic studies of the political groups of the European Parliament
Academic studies of the political groups of the European Parliament refers to the studies of those groups by academics, the methods that they use and the conclusions that they reach.-Background:...
. That article characterized IND/DEM as right-wing and/or Eurosceptics who cooperated most closely with the Non-Inscrits
Non-Inscrits
Non-Inscrits are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the recognized political groups....
, were unanimously opposed to hypothetical EU taxes, over 90% male, and against Turkish accession to the European Union.